RAMALLAH: Israel’s right-wing government on Friday was accused of stepping up its unprecedented campaign against Palestinian prisoners and their families in occupied Jerusalem.
Qadura Faris, chief of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, described the persecution as a “renewed catastrophe,” highlighting the Israeli confiscation of tens of thousands of dollars under the pretext of prisoners receiving undue funding from the Palestinian Authority.
Faris warned that the occupation had found “innovative ways” to expand its repression of Palestinians.

BEIRUT: The outlook for Lebanon’s Qana gas field project appears promising, caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad said on Friday as authorities race against time to resume exploration work after demarcating the maritime borders with Israel in October.

Fayyad visited the Janus 2 ship at Beirut port, brought by TotalEnergies and its partners Eni and QatarEnergy to complete environmental surveys of the offshore Block 9 in the exclusive economic zone in preparation for oil and gas exploration.

LEEDS, UK: Three days after two massive earthquakes struck northwestern Syria and southeastern Turkiye in the early hours of Feb. 6, the US Treasury announced a 180-day exemption from sanctions on “all transactions related to earthquake relief efforts” sent to Syria by overseas donors.

ABU DHABI: The UAE has continued to provide assistance to the victims of the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria as part of its operation Gallant Knight/2 over the past 12 days.
Emirates News Agency reported on Friday that to date, 97 cargo planes have been sent to both countries, with 58 flights carrying 1,918 tons of relief materials to Syria and 39 flights carrying 706 tons to Turkiye.
In total, 2,624 tons of food, medical supplies and shelter tents have been delivered.

DUBAI: Pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca has announced plans to build sustainable offices at Dubai Science Park, the Emirates News Agency reported on Thursday.

It said the design and construction of the project, and the materials it uses, will meet the platinum standards in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design set out by the US Green Building Council.

The plan is part of the company’s global green agenda. It comes after authorities in the UAE last month announced 2023 as the “Year of Sustainability.”